Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Adonis’

ABSTRACT

A chrysanthemum plant named ‘ADONIS’ characterized by its small sized blooms with purple ray florets and prolific branching; natural season flower date September 1-6; blooming for a period of 6 weeks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

‘ADONIS’ is a product of a breeding and selection program for outdoorpot mums (garden mums) which had the objective of creating newchrysanthemum cultivars with a decorative type flower, a natural seasonflower date around September 1-6; blooming for a period of 6 weeks. Thenew plant of the present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivarof Chrysanthemum plant. ‘ADONIS’ is a seedling resulting from the openpollination among groups of chrysanthemum cultivars maintained under thecontrol of the inventor for breeding purposes. The new and distinctcultivar was discovered and selected as one flowering plant by RobNoodelijk on a cultivated field in Rijsenhout Holland in September 1998.The plant has been asexually reproduced by cuttings in greenhouses atRijsenhout Holland. The new cultivar has been found to retain itsdistinctive characteristics through successive propagations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention of a new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum isshown in the accompanying drawings, the color being as nearly true aspossible with color photographs of this type.

FIG. 1 shows a plant of the cultivar in full bloom.

FIG. 2 shows the various stages of bloom of the new cultivar.

FIG. 3 shows the various stages of foliage and petiole of the newcultivar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This new variety of chrysanthemum is of the botanical classificationChrysanthemum morifolium. The observations and measurements weregathered from plants grown out door in Rijsenhout, Holland under naturalday length and temperature and planted week 22 in 1999 and 2000. Thenatural blooming date of this crop was September 1-6 (week 35). Theaverage height of the plants was 36-40 CM cms. No growth retardants wereused. No tests were done on disease or insects resistance orsusceptibility. No tests were done on cold or drought resistance. Thisnew variety produces small sized blooms with purple ray florets and apurple center blooming for a period of 6 weeks.

From the cultivars known to inventor the most similar existing cultivarin comparison to ‘ADONIS’ is ‘DEBONAIR’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,324).When ‘DEBONAIR’ and ‘ADONIS’ are being compared the followingdifferences are noticed: The differences of ‘DEBONAIR’ and ‘ADONIS’ are(1) Natural blooming date. ‘ADONIS’ flowers earlier. (2) Branching.‘ADONIS’ branches more prolific. (3) Plant shape. The plant shape of‘ADONIS’ is semi-upright, the plant shape of ‘DEBONAIR’ is morespreading and rounded.

The following is a description of the plant and characteristics thatdistinguish ‘ADONIS’ as a new and distinct variety.

The color designations are taken from the plant itself. Accordingly, anydiscrepancies between the color designations and the colors depicted inthe photographs are due to photographic tolerances. The color chart usedin this description is: The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,1995 edition.

TABLE 1

Botanical description of cultivar ‘Adonis’:

Size.—Small; cross-section 1.0 cm, height 0.7 cm.

Outside color.—Red-purple 64 A.

Involucral bracts.—2 rows, length 7 mm, width 3 mm.

Involucral bracts among disc-florets.—Not present.

Involucral bracts color.—Greyed-green 191 A.

Type.—Decorative.

Height.—Medium (3.0 cm).

Size.—Small.

Fully expanded.—3.5-4.0 cm.

Number of blooms per branch.—Approx. 5 blooms per branch.

Performance on the plant.—6 weeks.

Seeds (if crossed).—Produced in small quantities, ovate grey-brown 199A, 1½ mm. in length.

Fragrance.—Typical chrysanthemum.

Color:

Center of the flower (disc-florets).—Immature red-purple 64 A. Maturered-purple 64 A.

Color of upper surface of the ray-florets.—Red-purple 70 A.

Color of the lower surface of the ray-florets.—Red-purple 70 B.

Tonality from distance.—A garden mum with purple flowers.

Color of the upper surface of the flowers after aging of the plant.—Tored-purple 70B.

Ray florets:

Texture.—Upper and under side smooth.

Number.—170-200.

Cross-section.—Flat.

Longitudinal axis of majority.—Reflexing.

Length of corolla tube.—Medium, 0.8-1.0 cm.

Ray-floret margin.—Entire.

Ray-floret length.—1.8-2.0 cm.

Ray-floret width.—0.4-0.6 cm.

Ratio length/width.—Medium.

Shape of tip.—Rounded.

Disc florets.—Not present.

Reproductive organs:

Stamen.—Not present.

Pollen.—Not present.

Styles.—Thin.

Style color.—Yellow-green 144 A.

Style length.—4 mm.

Stigmas color.—Yellow-green 144 A.

Stigma width.—1 mm.

Ovaries.—Enclosed in calyx.

Plant:

Shape.—Semi-upright, corymbiform.

Growth habit.—Spreading.

Growth rate.—Rapid.

Height.—36-40 cm.

Width.—33-35 cm.

Stem color.—Greyed-green 191 A.

Stem strength.—Strong.

Stem brittleness.—Present.

Stem anthocyanin coloration.—Present, a slight layer of greyed-red 181 Amainly at the base of the stem.

Length of lateral branch.—From top to bottom 15-17 cm.

Lateral branch color.—Greyed-green 191 A.

Lateral branch, attachment.—Strong.

Branching (average number of lateral branches).—Prolific with 6-8 breaksafter pinching.

Peduncle length.—4.5-5.0 cm.

Peduncle color.—Greyed-green 191 A.

Natural season blooming date.—September 1-6.

Foliage:

Color of mature leaves.—Upper side yellow-green 147 B. Under side yellowgreen 147 C.

Color of immature leaves.—Upper side green 138 A. Under side green 138B.

Size.—Small; length 5.0 cm, width 4.0 cm.

Quantity (number per lateral branch).—9-12.

Shape.—Rounded.

Texture upper side.—Glabrous.

Texture under side.—Pubescent.

Venation arrangement.—Palmate.

Shape of the margin.—Serrated.

Shape of base of sinus between lateral lobes.—Acute.

Margin of sinus between lateral lobes.—Converging.

Shape of base.—Asymmetric.

Apex.—Mucronate.

TABLE 2 Differences with the comparison varieties (when grown under thesame conditions) ‘ADONIS’ ‘DEBONAIR’ Natural blooming date 1-6 September20-23 September Branching Prolific Less prolific Plant ShapeSemi-upright (not so Spreading (more sounded/ flat) flat)

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum plant asdescribed and illustrated.